


IPL Adventures: Sinnoh Region

by SeanThomas



Series: IPL Adventures [1]
Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types
Genre: IPL, M/M, Sinnoh, international pokemon league
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-02-08
Updated: 2014-02-08
Packaged: 2018-01-11 15:29:25
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,196
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1174724
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SeanThomas/pseuds/SeanThomas
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Carter Quinn is an International Pokemon League agent with the job of investigating the Sinnoh region for evil syndicate activity.  When pokemon DNA researcher, Professor Atwood, is kidnapped by mysterious people wearing a G marking, Carter is on the case.  Things get complicated when Atwood's cute research assistant, Topher, begins distracting Carter with his dashing good looks and sexy intelligence.  Can Carter and his pokemon friends save the Sinnoh region from impending disaster while Topher is around, or will Carter sacrifice his budding feelings for the sake of his job?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Welcome to Sinnoh

The day started off with an incoming call from my old college friend, Rebecca, which woke me up just before 7 am.

            “Morning, sleepy head,” she called out over my poke-transmitter.

            “Morning,” I mumbled back, as I rubbed the sleep from my eyes.

            “How is Sinnoh? Is it snowing? Did you get put up in a 5 star hotel?” Rebecca was always the enthusiast and type of person who carried on a conversation by herself.

            “Hold up!” I chimed in. “You do realize you’re three hours ahead and I’m literally void of coffee, right?”

            Rebecca looked apologetic, “Oh Carter, I’m so sorry honey.”

            “It’s alright,” I laughed. “My alarm was just about to go off anyway and to answer your questions, no it’s not snowing and yes I’m in a 5 star hotel…a suite actually.”

            “Ohh, fancy fancy,” she fanned herself off over the screen display, laughing.

            I rolled out of bed and made my way towards the coffee pot, doing my best to pat my bedhead hair back into place.  I was never one of those people who looked like anything but a troll in the morning.  My slightly shaggy brown hair always ended up in various shapes and dark circles hung under my brown eyes.  A brush and shower usually put me back into place, but I typically didn’t like people seeing this side of me.

            “You excited or nervous for your first day on the job?” Rebecca asked, as she navigated her way around people at the Kanto University where she worked.  Through the transmitter screen I could see her face and the surprised expressions as people jumped out of her way and then turned to look at her with a mix of confusion and anger.

            “A bit of both really.  I’m excited to see the city and travel the Sinnoh region, but it’s not easy being the new guy who shows up for inspection.”  As an IPL, International Pokemon League, Agent it was my duty to travel the world as an advocate for the League by working with professors and gym leaders to ensure their gyms and labs were up to date with regulations.  I had previously been stationed in Hoenn but arrived late last night to Jubilife City.  As Hoenn wasn’t too far from Sinnoh, a 4 hour flight, I was able to arrive at 11:00 pm and check into my hotel by midnight.  Today would be a long day and I would definitely need some coffee.

            “You’ll be fine,” she assured me. “Everybody finds you charming.”

            “I somehow doubt that.”

            “Just don’t walk in waving the badge around and you’ll be ok.”

            “I’ll do my best,” I said, pouring my first cup of coffee.  “But listen, I gotta get ready so I’ll call you later, ok?”

            “Sounds great.  Enjoy your day!”

            I clicked off the video chat and pulled up my e-mail.  Since last night I had received 34 messages and 2 appointment reminders.  I had to be at the IPL agency by 9:00 am so I had to drink my coffee and get ready, as I wanted to leave enough time to wander the city and take it all in.  I plowed through my e-mails and downed another cup of gasoline strength coffee, took a steaming hot shower, and put on slacks and a cardigan.

            The city itself was fairly normal to every other I have visited.  When you’ve seen skyscrapers and taxi cabs, it all starts to look the same.  The two distinct features that made Jubilife stand out was the amazing view of Mt. Coronet, which split the region in two, and the salty sea air that was surprisingly refreshing.

            I always enjoyed the hustle and bustle of city life, with people rushing to work and new sounds that surrounded you ever fifteen feet or so.  I had a few people wish me a good morning as I walked with my travel mug and shoulder bag.  I arrived fifteen minutes early to the agency and the rest of my morning was filled with meetings and tours.  I departed just after lunch and headed towards the outskirts of the city where I was to meet Professor Atwood at his research lab.  I stopped in a quiet spot of a large park and let my pokemon out of their pokeballs for some fresh air and a lunch of berries.

            Charizard, Espeon, Lairon, Solrock, Venomoth, and Kabutops were more than happy to run around the park and enjoy themselves.  Watching Charizard play with Solrock reminded me of my first meeting with him back when he was a Charmander.  Fifteen years ago, on my tenth birthday, I practically ran to Professor Oak’s lab on the hill, eager to accept my first pokemon.  I was certain Squirtle was going to be my choice but when I saw the small Charmander I knew he would be my partner.  All these years later he was my best friend and the two of us had been through more adventures than I could have ever imagined.

            “Don’t wander too far, guys,” I called, as Lairon and Kabutops disappeared behind some bushes.

            I pulled out my poke-transmitter and opened the file I had on Professor Atwood.  An expert in the field of DNA research, Professor Atwood was mapping the genealogy of Sinnoh’s resident pokemon breeds.  He was a man in his fifties and renowned for his work but due to the past years of trusted League officials being involved with evil syndicates, my secret mission was to make sure Atwood wasn’t involved in anything illegal.

            It seemed every couple of years or so it was discovered that gym leaders or professors were involved with some kind of organization that aimed to see the world in ruins.  The IPL was rocked to its core, both publically and privately, when Kanto’s Viridian gym leader Giovanni turned out to be the head of the evil Team Rocket.  The League created a special task force that aimed to investigate trusted officials for illegal involvement, and I was selected some four years ago for the job.

            With my team and the help of Pokemon Rangers, we stopped two rival organizations from destroying the Hoenn region some five months back.  Team Magma and Team Aqua had aimed to either see the region burn or drown by harnessing the power of two legendary pokemon: Kyogre and Groudon.  The battle of water against fire had left some cities nearly destroyed but they were finally disbanded and the pokemon returned to their resting places.  I was hailed a hero, which honestly was just me doing my job, and I was given the sole task of investigating the Sinnoh region for it.  Hence, here I was today.

            “Alright guys,” I called.  “Time to get going!”

            My pokemon came running back to me and I recalled them to their pokeballs.  I had fifteen minutes to get to the lab and I wasn’t one to be tardy.  I slung my bag over my shoulder and got a good stretch in before I headed down the trail that would lead me out of the city.


	2. Exploring The Lab

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Carter checks out the Jubilife Research Lab and can't help but also check out the cute lab assistant, Topher.

            Approaching the Jubilife Research Lab wasn’t easy.  The “simple” directions I was given turned out to not be so simple and the lab wasn’t off the main stretch of road as I was told.  I walked down a dirt path, past a worn out sign that simply said **Lab** to find what looked more like a haunted house than anything else. 

            Weeds grew knee high and surrounded the two story concrete building.  The windows were covered in dirt and a few of them had visible cracks showing.  This building was definitely not up to code, if it was in fact Professor Atwood’s lab.  I followed the uneven path to a doorway and wiped off the communications screen that was built into the wall.

            “Ugh,” I said, my hand covered in grime.  I wouldn’t be surprised if I was suddenly attacked by Ghastly and Grimer.

            I touched the **Welcome** button on the communications panel and the screen buzzed to life.  The official IPL logo spun in the center before being replaced by a picture of Professor Atwood and the words: **Welcome to Jubilife Research Laboratory**.  I pressed the screen again and I could hear the ding-dong of a bell going off inside the building.  After about a minute and a half later I rang the bell again and waited.  Another minute passed before a close up of a nose popped onto the screen.  I jumped back a step.

            “Huh…hello?” a voice called.

            “Yes, hello,” I said, still staring at a nose.  “My name is Carter Quinn and I’m with the International Pokemon League.  I have an appointment with Professor Atwood.”

            “Oh yes, that is today isn’t it?” the nose said before dropping out of sight and being followed by a large crash.  “Oof!”

            “Are you ok?” I asked.

            “Fine, fine,” the voice followed, though not very convincing.  “I’ll be right there to let you in.”

            The screen went blank and I waited a good five minutes before I heard the front door being unlocked.  When it finally opened, which seemed to take some effort as the door was nearly warped shut, an extremely attractive young man stood before me.  Standing 5’9” and thin, he had dirty blonde hair and wire-rimmed glasses that sat in front of beautiful green eyes.  He had small lips and a white lab coat on over a shirt and tie.

            “Hello there,” he said, extending a hand. “I’m Topher Leland, Professor Atwood’s assistant.”

            “Huh…hi,” I stammered, smiling bigger than I should have been. “Carter Quinn, IPL Agent.”

            Topher smiled genuinely and looked down at his hand which I wasn’t letting go of.  I quickly released it and internally told myself to get it together.  He moved aside and motioned for me to enter the lab.  I was immediately greeted by a foyer that was dimly lit, due to missing light bulbs, and boxes that were stacked on top of each other.  I was beginning to seriously worry about the state of the lab and I hadn’t even make it five feet in the door.

            “I apologize about the mess, Mr. Quinn,” Topher said. “The Professor is extremely busy with his work and has given me the sole task of keeping the lab clean and running.  The problem is that he also gives me countless other tasks so I never seem to have time to clean up.”

            I nodded and smiled, “Have you two thought of hiring a cleaning crew at all?  You do know that the IPL budget allows for maintenance and cleaning services.”

            “And good luck convincing the Professor to allow anybody else into his laboratory.  My first two months he only allowed me to enter three rooms in the building; I doubt he would give free reign to a cleaning crew.”

            “I see,” is all I said, mentally making a note to hire both a cleaning and maintenance crew for the lab.  Professor Atwood may not like it but he wouldn’t have much choice.

            Topher led me down a hall and through a secured doorway, which he opened by hand print and passcode.  I was immediately surrounded by whirling noises and ammonia smells.  Lights flashed, computer screens scrolled with data, and test tubes covered countertops.  All of a sudden an Azumarill whizzed past me with an electronic device that was beeping frantically and narrowly avoiding a crash with a Bibarel going in the opposite direction.

            “Professor Atwood is around here somewhere,” Topher said to me, tapping on a screen with a picture of a Dusknoir on it and becoming distracted.

            “If you don’t mine I will just take a look around,” I responded, but I don’t think he heard me.

            I made my way around the laboratory, which was much bigger than I first realized.  I pulled out my transmitter and typed some quick notes concerning safety hazards and possible improvements to the space.  My file on the laboratory showed that much of the IPL funding wasn’t being utilized and I was certain some of the technology could be upgraded. 

            I thought I saw the professor once or twice but the figure vanished before I could be sure.  I was peering at a rotating contraption, which I guessed was mixing liquids, when a Rotom in stove form wobbled past me and through a doorway.  Intrigued, I followed it and came across a man tinkering with a projection machine that hung from a ceiling. 

            The man, who I knew was the Professor, was in his mid-fifties and had bush grey hair and eyebrows.  He was Topher’s height and a bit more heavyset, though still fit for his age.  He too wore a white lab coat and two shoes that did not match.

            “Excuse me, Professor?” I asked.  No response.

            “Er…Professor Atwood, sir?”

            “Hm? Yes?” the man responded, sounding like he was in a faraway place.

            “Professor, my name is Carter Quinn and I am with the International Pokemon Lea…”

            The man interrupted me, “Rotom, please come closer so I can get a bit higher.  I can’t reach this dang wire.”  The pokemon got underneath the professor and he stood on top of the stove.

            “Fantastic! Now, if you would activate the holographic sequence illuminator we should be all set.”

            With that, Rotom’s glowing plasma form exited the kitchen appliance and shot into the nearest computer monitor.  A couple of clicks followed and a holographic image of a Starly appeared above a seamless white table.

            “Hazzah!” he yelled.

            “Excuse me…” I stepped before the man, so he had no choice but to look at me.

            His face looked shocked and cross, “Young man, what are you doing in my lab?  You are certainly trespassing on private property!”

            “Professor, my name is Carter Quinn, sir.  I am with the IPL and we had an appointment for today,” the professor still looked confused.  “Your assistant, Topher, let me into the lab.”

            He stared me down for a few minutes before turning back towards the holographic projector.

            “I know nothing of this; now please leave my laboratory as I have extremely important work to get back to.”

            Topher suddenly appeared in the doorway, looking very nervous, “Actually professor, I did remind you of this visit several times.  Mr. Quinn here has had this appointment set up for nearly two months.”

            Atwood shot him a glare.  I couldn’t help but find his sheepish look to be extremely adorable.  The worried look on his face brought out two small dimples in his cheeks.

            “Professor,” I said, looking away from Topher. “The League sent me here not to intrude on what you are doing but to ensure that you are receiving the maximum amount of support for your research.  I assure you, I am only here to help in any way that I can.”

            “Do you intend to look through my files?” he asked me.

            “Well, some of them…yes, but I promise you I am only here to make sure you are adequately funded and supported in your extremely important research.”

            “Very well,” his face softened. “Topher, please show Mr. Quinn around our facility and give him access to our files.  I can meet with you soon but first I must finish what I have started.” 

            With that the Professor went right back to his work.  Topher turned towards me and asked me to follow him back into the lab.  Unlike Atwood, he was extremely helpful and willingly answered every question I had in detail.  I followed the young man, who I guessed was about 24 or 25, around the lab and tried not to give away the fact that I was watching everything he did with interest.

            I held back a grin every time he smiled and his dimples appeared and I couldn’t help but hang onto the edge of voice.  It was soft but neither deep or high and I loved the way he pronounced scientific terms with ease.  He moved his hands a lot as he spoke and got caught up in his explanations of DNA; he nearly tripped over himself at one point and blushed a deep shade of red.

            “Finally, we have the kitchen,” he said, as we entered the room.  “Would you like something to drink?”

            He stopped suddenly and I realized that the fridge was missing.

            “Rotom is known to inhabit the appliances from time to time but it usually returns them right after,” he looked embarrassed.

            “Not a problem,” I smiled.  “I do have a few questions for you, if that’s alright?”

            He nodded and we both took seats at the large kitchen table.

            “Great,” I began.  “How do you like working for the Professor?”

            “Oh…um…well, Professor Atwood is a brilliant man and I am truly fortunate to have the opportunity to work for him.  He is certainly very eccentric and while half of my time is consumed with making sure he is stopping his work to eat a meal, I really value my days here.”

            “It sounds like a very interesting job,” I said, giving him a smile.  I casually looked to my left and happened to see a beautiful outdoor space with many different kinds of pokemon playing.  I walked over to the large window and observed a large garden and pond.  “This is beautiful.”

            “One of the job perks,” Topher said, walking up next to me. “On top of the lab being a research facility it also doubles as a sanctuary for injured and sick pokemon.  The Professor does find time out of his day to care for the pokemon in this area and I have learned a lot from him.”

            I glanced at Topher as he gazed out the window.  He radiated kindness and compassion and it was obvious that he was smarter than he gave himself credit for.  It had been an extremely long time since I have dated, let alone crushed this hard on someone.  Being an IPL Agent meant that I moved around often and never really settled into one place.  My last boyfriend was back in the Johto region, nearly three years ago, and it only lasted two months.

            I was human and have had the occasional hookup here and there, though in all honesty not as often as I sometimes desired, but I couldn’t deny that some part of me wished for a steady relationship.  As I got older I watched more of my childhood friends getting engaged and married, which at times made me question the career path I chose.  Overall, I was very happy with the life I created for myself and the man that I had become.

            Still, it was times like this that made me wonder if I could give up my career to be with someone as handsome and kind as Topher.  Would I be happy then?  Would the lonely ache that I felt deep inside be filled by love?

            “Mr. Quinn,” Topher jarred me from my thoughts. “I almost forgot to show you the most important part of the laboratory.”

            He casually touched my arm and made his way out of the kitchen, with me following.


End file.
